Kevin Rudd

"Compassion is not a dirty word... It's time we rehabilitated compassion into the national political vocabulary of this great nation of ours." - Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd has been the Prime Minister of Australia since December of 2007. A magnet for new ideas for overhauling educational and environmental policies in his native country, he's had his share of political enemies (who hasn't?), but holds onto his title as a popular politician. He also openly refers to himself as "a very determined bastard." We happen to think there's something surprisingly cool about that.

MAGNETISM

Kevin Rudd is one half of a true Australian power couple. His wife since his university years has been Therese Reinhas, the mother of his three children and the strong-willed body behind Ingeus, an organization that generates close to $200 million annually by creating programs to facilitate job placement. The only Australian First Lady in history to stay fully employed during her husband's rule of the country, Therese Reinhas is a force to be reckoned with. In 2007, she finished in the Top 10 for a poll in Australian Women Weekly about Australia's most powerful women. She was in fine celebrity company on the list that also included Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson and Nicole Kidman.

We don't have a clear reading on the number of female Kevin Rudd admirers there are in Australia, but we do know of one very famous person who does have the warmies for him. At a taping of the Australian talk show, Rove Live, Sacha Baron Cohen showed up as his alter-ego, Bruno, and fawned over the Australian PM with compliments like "hotter than Obama" and "uber-cute." Bruno also imagined a shared future with "Ruddy" that included foot massages and an adopted family. Kevin Rudd survived the ordeal and in doing so, sealed his place in political and popular culture.

SUCCESS

Kevin Rudd's journey to the top of the Australian political pile has been steady and consistent. A veteran public service official both overseas and in his native Australia, Kevin Rudd has previously served in the Premier's office and on the Parliamentary Opposition bench along the way. Well-versed and well-educated, he's fluent in Mandarin, and survived a struggle with rheumatic heart disease to get to his present and prime political destination.

Like every other politician on the planet, Kevin Rudd's very public persona makes him a target for ridicule anytime he makes himself available for such things. Kevin Rudd has been well-protected for the most part, except for one fateful incident in 2001 as leader of the Labor Party. During a question period, he was captured on video taking an ear-surfing trip with his fingers and sampling the goods with his mouth. We're not sure what's worse in today's digital age, watching something like that or actually doing it, but either way, the video's 2007 release garnered over 250,000 views on YouTube and did little to dissuade Australians from their choice of a public leader.

Kevin Rudd Biography

Kevin Rudd's childhood was punctuated by sudden tragedy, abrupt changes and cows. In the farming town of Eumundi, his family owned a dairy farm where the future politician became an adept clay shooter and horseback rider. These interests would carry on through his adult life, as well. At just 11 years old, Kevin Rudd lost his father to injuries suffered in a car accident. The financial burden on the family proved to be too much and they left the farm, sleeping in cars until they could find a more permanent residence.

Just before his father's death, Kevin Rudd became fascinated by a history book given to him by his mother. It prompted him to want to learn more about China. He also suited up with the Australian Labor Party and familiarized himself with politics. Upon completing high school, it was off to the Australian National University where Kevin Rudd learned Mandarin, and pursued studies related to the history and language of China. After graduating with honors, he took on additional academics in Taipei until 1981.

kevin rudd enters politics

Kevin Rudd became professionally employed in politics for the first time as a member of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs in 1981. Splitting his time between various international duties in Sweden and China, he didn't come back to Australia permanently until 1988. It was then that he worked for the Queensland's Labor Party, first on the opposition and then in the Premier's office after his party's victory a year later. In his capacity, Kevin Rudd used his experience in China to promote the instruction of other languages across Australian schools. He was slowed somewhat by a heart valve transplant that was necessitated by rheumatic heart disease, but after his recovery from the operation, he propelled his political career to the next step.

In 1998, Kevin Rudd became an official member of Australian Parliament and within three years, he joined the front lines of the opposition and closely followed the foreign affairs activities of the ruling government. Among his targets was Australia's handling of Iraq in 2003, which he pointedly criticized. Kevin Rudd's willingness to get his hands dirty increased his public profile and earned him additional job duties, first as a trade critic, and then as the Australian Labor Party's official opposition leader in 2006. The following year, a report that he had entered a New York strip club earned some scandalous headlines, but Kevin Rudd managed to turn a negative into a positive by stating that he had entered the establishment, but exited immediately upon the realization of where he was. If Bill Clinton didn't inhale, then Kevin Rudd never looked at the strippers.

kevin rudd becomes prime minister of australia

In November of 2007, Kevin Rudd and his Labor Party supporters overtook the ruling Liberal party in the country-wide election, making him only the second Queensland native to sit in the Prime Minister's chair. His decisive victory carried over into many post-election polls, which saw him maintain a solid political hold and popularity base that previous Prime Ministers had not enjoyed.

Since being elected Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd has made his political presence known through several measures and proposals in the areas of the environment, education, the Indigenous Australians, and the Iraq war. After signing the Kyoto Protocol, he made a pledge to lower emissions of greenhouse gases across the country. On the educational front, he has increased educational spending in hopes of allowing every senior high school student to have access to a computer. In a stirring speech to the nation, he also apologized to Indigenous Australians for the educational and financial hardships that they are still facing, and promised to work toward a solution. Lastly, he organized a military pull-out from Iraq that was recently completed in July of 2009. While his country is still suffering from the effects of the global recession, Kevin Rudd is still the man in charge and remains stoic in his efforts to bring out the best of his precious Australia.